Bridging the gap between collision data collection and

Bridging the gap between collision data collection and reporting Presented by Jeff Holt, President Holt, Sheets & Associates

Outline Background of Indiana State Police Vehicle Crash Records Collection Accomplishments ISP has made since starting in 2002 Four Keys to Success What’s Next

Background Indiana State Police (ISP) n Responsible for collection of all collision reports in the state of Indiana (Central Repository) w Approximately 250, 000 collisions per year n Responsible for providing collision information to: w w w Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) Indiana Department of Transportation (In. DOT) General Public

Background Problem n n n Using legacy system that did not allow ISP the ability to process all collision reports in a timely manner Collision data that was being entered was two years old Information needs of other state agencies were not being met due to “old data”

Accomplishments What has ISP accomplished since 2002? n Developed a Document Management/Imaging System to process collision reports n Revised collision report to allow 40% of data to be collected via mark sense recognition n Eliminated approximately 400, 000 “backlogged” collision reports n Built interfaces with CVED and BMV for data extraction and input into other systems n Built electronic collision reporting “wizard” that allows law enforcement agencies to send collision data to the central repository electronically n Day current in collision report processing since January 1, 2003

Four keys to success n n Problem Identification Data Access Strong Program Sponsorship Integrated Records Management System (RMS)

Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. - Samuel Johnson

Key #1 ISP clearly identified the existing problems they encountered and conducted a detailed requirements gathering and analysis with all key stakeholders (Law Enforcement, BMV, In. Dot, CVED etc. )

What were the requirements? n n n n Ability to process all collision reports within 24 hours upon receipt Ability to easily handle supplemental and supporting documentation from law enforcement agencies Ability to process proof of insurance documents and provide this information along with collision data to BMV Ability to query on all data elements collected on collision report so all agencies have the ability to access the information they need Ability to determine all commercial vehicle collisions and electronically input that data into the Federal Safety. Net 2000 system Automated workflow process to reduce or eliminate the need for paper All requirements detailed in RFP to select vendor for development and implementation

Outcome ISP now processes all collision reports into the state repository within 24 hours upon the time of receipt All supplemental and supporting documentation for collision reports are imaged and data associated with the collision report ISP scans all proof of insurance documents for BMV and provides them the ability to extract all collision data from the state repository The VCRS system has simple and advanced query capabilities to allow any data element collected to be queried upon All possible commercial vehicle collisions are quality controlled by CVED and that collision information is imported electronically into the Safety. Net 2000 system VCRS utilizes automated workflow to reduce the dependency on paper and to efficiently process collision reports

VCRS Workflow

As a rule, he or she who has the most information will have the greatest success in life. - Disraeli

Key #2 ISP understood that the way to obtain all collision information from local law enforcement agencies in a timely manner would be to bridge the gap between data collection and data reporting providing them with easy access to the data

How do we bridge the gap? Make it as easy as possible for law enforcement to collect collision information Provide law enforcement agencies with the ability to access collision data once it has been sent to the state repository Continual improvement of data accuracy

Outcome Revised collision report to allow easier data collection while still capturing over 95% of the MMUCC data elements n n Logical form layout Less paper required to be filled out when more than two units are involved in a collision EVCRS n Reduced the amount of time required to complete a collision report

Outcome Provide local law enforcement agencies access to the VCRS system via the web Agencies are able to: n n Query collision database to obtain statistical information View and print image of collision report for distribution Request data from VCRS to support other agency systems Request “canned” reports to obtain information such as: w Impaired Driving Statistics w Number of Collisions w Seat belt usage

Outcome GIS Enhancements n n Allow for multiple collisions to be mapped on any road within the state of Indiana Provide agencies with multiple “map layers” for different uses Provide the ability to display text information on map (Primary Causes) Ability to generate custom maps for all agencies

Outcome Improved data accuracy n n All collision data goes through a quality control process before collision report is accepted by ISP Purdue University provides data analysis services to determine if any data inconsistencies exist and help provide solution to correct

No matter what accomplishments you achieve somebody helped you. - Althea Gibson

Key #3 Strong sponsorship from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI)

ICJI Provide traffic safety funding to ensure Indiana VCRS system is a model for other states to follow Utilization of Law Enforcement Liaisons to help train and educate police officers on the importance of accurate data collection Give ISP the flexibility to be creative in VCRS enhancements to improve traffic safety

It's not how much you know but the ability to get information and then act on it that gets things done. - Anonymous

Key #4 ISP did not just think about the immediate need of improving Collision data collection and storage but rather the development of an Integrated Records Management System (RMS)

Integrated Records Management ISP identified early on the need for a records management system that allows ALL information to be stored and made available as needed: n n n n n Collision Reports Proof of Insurance Case Reports Citations Criminal Arrests Criminal Dispositions Fingerprints & Mug shots Correctional Firearms Records

Integrated Records Management Developing a way to process all types of information and storing this information in a centralized location allows: n A single state repository providing data to multiple state and federal agencies such as BMV, In. DOT, Courts, Prosecutors, Sheriffs & Local PD’s, USDOT and FBI n Master Name Index provides all information on a single individual n A unified, automated workflow for input of all document types greatly reduces cost of operations n Document-imaging allows for off-site storage and recovery from loss due to mis-filing, theft, fire or other disasters n Document-imaging eliminates the need to file paper documents and drastically lowers the cost of operations from man-hours of filing to the cost of printing

What’s Next? Development of a Unified Traffic Ticket (UTT) for State of Indiana Electronically send Citation Information from law enforcement directly into the RMS system Interface with the State-wide Court Management System to provide Citation Information to the Courts and to BMV Creation of RMS interfaces with the Indiana Criminal History System to scan and store all criminal information including mug shots Ecommerce of all collision reports for general public

Questions ?